Microaggressions, Feelings of Difference & Resilience among Adopted Children with Sexual Minority Parents

Limited research exists about the unique experiences and possible marginalization of children with sexual minority parents. From a larger longitudinal project of diverse adoptive families, we examined cross-sectional data using mixed methods from interviews with 49 adopted children (M age = 8 years; 47 % female) in 27 two-father and 22 two-mother families. Using thematic analysis, we coded themes of awareness of difference, microaggressions, and resilience (i.e., coping and positive family conceptualizations). 

Children experienced "feeling different" and microaggressions from peers, but generally at a low to medium intensity and with neutral (not negative) emotion. More instances of resilience and positive family conceptualizations were reported than microaggressions or feelings of difference, suggesting that children develop positive perceptions of their family and navigate experiences of difference with resilience. 

Filling important gaps in the literature, we discuss implications of our results for practice and policy.

Via: http://ht.ly/SpG0t 

By: Farr RH1, Crain EE2, Oakley MK2, Cashen KK2, Garber KJ2.

• 1Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, 012-B Kastle Hall, 171 Funkhouser Drive, Lexington, KY, 40506-0044, USA.
• 2University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.